Improvement in windmills



UNITED STAT-ns" I13.4.'1 1a1\rr OFFICE.

ROBERT O. LOWREY, OF TABOR, IOVA, ASSIGNOR 'IO HIMSELF AND E. N.KELLOGG.

IMPROVEMENT IN WINDMILLS.

' Specification' forming part of Letters Patent No. 61,077, datedJanuary S, 1867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT O. LOWREY, of Tabor, Fremont county, State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vfindmills;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan viewof the improved windmill. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one side of thesame. Fig. 3 is a section taken through the mill in the vertical planeindicated by red line x a, Fig. 1.- Fig. 4 is a top view in detail ofthe hinged arms which carry the stops for checking the win gs.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in theseveral figures.`

This invention relates to certain novel improvements on the windmillwhich were secured to me by Letters Patent bearing date on the 29th dayof April, 1862, the main object of which improvements is to so constructthe mill that the wings are stopped at such angles with respect to thedirection of the wind-currents as to secure the greatest amount of powerfrom the wind. At the same time the said wings are each allowed tofeather properly as they successively come around against the wind, aswill be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I willdescribe its construction and operation.

In the accompanyingdrawings, A represents a frame, which is adapted forsupporting the vertical shaft B of the mill. This frame may beconstructed as I have shown din the drawings, or in any other suitable`manner. The vertical shaft B is stepped in a suitable box npon thecentral base beam of frame A, and sustained in position at its upper endby a trussed beam of frame A.

In order to avoid much friction at the lower bearing of shaft B, I mountthis shaft upon small anti-friction rollers a (indicated in dottedlines, Figs. 2 and 3) by applying a circular flange, a', to the shaft B,which flange also serves as a driving-drum, by which power can betransmitted from the shaft B for driving machinery.

U C are a nnmberof radial arms, which project yfrom the shaft B nearitsupper end, which arms are arranged in a horizontal plane and bracedrigidly. Beneath arms C C another set of radial arms, C' C', projectfrom and are secured rigidly to the shaft B. The arms C of the upperseries correspond in length and are arranged in vertical planes with thearms of the lower series, and the space between the two series of arms CC is equal to the vertical length of the wings D D, as shown in Figs. 2and 3.

The rectangular wings D may be constructedI of thin boards, secured tocrosspieces at the upper and lower ends; and, if desirable, in thecenter of the wings cross-pieces may be secured, so as to affordstiffness to the wings. The win gs D are pivoted by vertical pinsbetween their respective upper and lower arms, so that the wings willfeather properly as they successively move around.

At the outer end of each radial arm of both the upper and lower series across-piece, d, is secured at right angles to its arm and to the ends ofthese cross -pieces d arms e c are pivoted, the outer ends of the lowerseries of which rest upon Yrods j, which project outward and downward,and the outer ends of the upper series of which are suspended from rodsf', which curve upward.

The outer ends of the hinged arms c are connected by rods g to the outerends of the arms c', so that these arms c c move in pairs outwardandinward. To these arms e e', I apply pendent stops h, against whichthe wings D are pressed by the force of the wind, as will be furtherdescribed. The arms e' are all connected, by ropes or cha-ins passingover pulleys t, with a sliding ring, G, which is applied upon the shaftB below the lower series of radial arms.

The ring G is constructed with a circular cup-shaped vessel forreceiving weights, by means of which the pressure of wind against thewings D, bearing upon the stop-blocks h, can be resisted, so as to havethese wings presented to the wind at any desired angle. It' the force ofthe wind acting upon the wings D exceeds the power represented by theweights which are put upon the sliding ring G, then this ring will beraised and the wings are allowed to swing out of the wind, so as topresent a less resistance thereto, thereby regulating the power andspeed of the mill.

The ring Gis constructedV with an annular groove for receiving the yokeon the end of a lever, J, which lever has its fulcrum upon a standard, Jand can be secured at its rear or outer end in any desired position bymeans of a pin passed through one of a number of holes through a forkedstandard, K, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

By means of the leverJ the wings D can bel direction of the wind.

When the sliding loaded ring Gr is elevated to a certain height, and thearms e e', to which the stops h are applied, are allowed to be forcedoutward by the wings D, the arms or rods f f' will cause a separation ofthe upper and lower series of stops, so as to allow the wingsI D toswing clear of these stops.

The stops h are hung from staples that are secured to arms e e' in'sucha manner that the lower ends of the stops preponderate. This keeps themin vertical positions, and causes them to assume the proper position forstopping the wings when pressed against in one direction, at the sametime to allow the wings to trip thernwhen on the wrong side, and toassumev the proper position for receiving the wind-currents.

In Fig. 5 I have represented a mode of attaching the arms e e to theradial arms by metal loops, which will allow these arms e e to playfreely inward and outward, as well as upward and downward, and at thesame time prevents these arms from twisting when the wings D act againstthe stops h.

Havingdescribed my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, isu

1. The application of stops h to hinged arms 0 e', which are connectedtogether in pairs, and

.acted upon by a loaded sliding ring, G, upon the shaft B, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination of the stops h, arms e e', and wings D, in such amanner that the stops when tripped will again assume vertical positions,substantially as described.

3. Providing adjustable stops h on each side ofthe radial arms, to whichthe wings D are pivoted, for supporting the latter in the twopositionswhich theyassume in each revolution, substantially asdescribed.

4. Providing for allowing the stop-arms e e of the upper and lowerseries to separate vertically when forced outward, employing the curvedrods f f for effecting this object, substantially as described.

R; O. LOWREY. Witnesses:

H. R. IVORY, G. C. ADAMS.

